Bits and Pieces
by Miss Shannon
Summary: A series of drabbles on my current favorite couple. Sort of sequel-ish to "A Golden Dawn".
1. To The Nines

**A/N:** I had so much fun writing Snape and Sinistra that I decided that I could not let go of them again, yet. There are quite a few scenes I have come up with that I could not fit into "A Golden Dawn", so I decided to write a story set in the same universe that consists of some drabbles with no actual storyline to connect them. I put this into the humor category as many of the scenes I envisioned were not too serious. Not to say that there won't be any serious ones. I am rambling. Sorry. I hope you enjoy. :)

**To The Nines**

"Oh, Severus. You must be kidding me!" exclaimed Aurora Sinistra, her hands clasped under her chin.

"I doubt it as I have no sense of humor I am aware of." Severus Snape, in his usual black robes, turned towards his fellow teacher and current fiance and raised an eyebrow in a bid to look menacing.

"It is our wedding day! You should really make an effort!"

"I washed my hair," he grumbled, already fed up with an argument that had not yet started. He flicked his hair away from his face by twitching his head to the side and curled his lip at the smell of honey that wafted into his nostrils. Apparently, he had accidentally used her shampoo again.

"That is true," she walked towards him, still in her dressing robe but her hair already expertly curled and make-up applied. Snape found that she looked breathtaking although he preferred the more natural look she usually wore. The dark eyes looked unfamiliar and he found it disconcerting as her dark lashes were usually the only thing that gave them definition. "... but still. Seriously. Is there absolutely nothing else in your wardrobe? So you own that very same outfit how many times?"

"Five," he said in a clipped voice, desperate to preserve his dignity. Aurora huffed.

"You surely must have something else!"

"If you would like me to wear my pajamas, I will oblige."

"At least leave the robes," she pleaded and tugged at the offending garment. "You will look distinctly more groom-like in only your frock."

He bend forwards to level with her. "We are not even married and you are already trying to order me about."

She raised both eyebrows. "Me? Who forced an impromptu crash course on the making of anti-bellyache potion on me just last night? I felt like a student again!"

Snape felt rightfully offended. "I will disregard that very foolish comment as you must surely be fully aware of the fact that that particular potion is just what our daughter frequently needs at the moment."

Aurora folded her arms in front of her chest, waiting for him to comply and take his robes off. Although Snape had already resigned himself to the fact that he would walk down the proverbial isle cape-less and would therefore look considerably less menacing than usual, he decided to not let her win so easily.

"I like my cloak."

"I don't want people to think I am getting married to a bat." He could see from the fine lines that were forming around her eyes that she was enjoying the banter as much as he did.

"It would be quite fitting, one would assume, as you are the resident batty astronomy professor."

She now stood with her hands on her hips, chin raised. "Batty? And there I was under the impression that I was the sane tower resident around here."

"Then you were wrong," he said silkily. "Apparently," he added in a more conversational tone, "you are planning on getting married in your dressing robe. As charming as the little cats on it are and even taken into account the fact that very few people will be in attendance, I do not believe it fits the occasion."

Aurora looked down her body and shrugged. "So you are suggesting I take it off?"

Snape gave an exasperated sigh. "Aurora, we will get married in ten minutes. Everyone is waiting downstairs!"

Aurora rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and took the robe off while she was walking toward the bathroom, leaving Snape to stare at her naked thighs, wishing they had more time. A moment later, she emerged again, in a dark blue dress.

"No white?" he asked.

She chuckled. "Me? White is for the innocent, Severus!"

Silently, Snape took off his cloak, the swishing of it as he threw it carelessly onto a chair the only sound. He walked towards his soon-to-be-wife and ran his hand down the dress, muttering some words. He reached for her chin and held it between his thumb and forefinger, staring at her sternly.

"I ditch the cape, you wear white. Then we have a deal."

Aurora frowned, then looked down herself again. The dress she had been wearing was the very same, but Snape had turned it white.

"Really? Want me to put some flowers in my hair, too?"

"Not unless you want me to."

She laughed out loud as the thought of Snape with flowers in his hair was truly ridiculous. And also oddly frightening.

"Well, then what are we waiting for?"

He took her hand and guided her down the stairs towards the Great Hall where the ceremony would take place. Aurora smiled a little too sweetly at Snape as she ran her hand gently down his back. Only when they were walking towards McGonagall, he realized what she had done after noticing the awed looks his his colleagues faces.

His frock was now completely white.

Quickly, his hand went up to his hair but at least she had refrained from putting flowers there, too.

"I am getting married to you!" he whispered into her ear heatedly. "What am I getting myself into?"

Aurora grinned, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "I believe it is a little late for doubts now, Severus."


	2. Through My Student's Eyes

**Through My Student's Eyes**

Jonathan had never been a quiet boy. Having grown up in a loving family with two little sisters who adored him, he was usually a bold and self-confident child. Well-liked by adults and children alike, he had always displayed a bit of mischief with which he frequently got away.

Hogwarts, however, had humbled him.

Being away from his family for the first time was hard although he had been looking forward to attending Hogwarts for years. The castle, though welcoming, was vast and Jonathan felt small and insignificant as for the first time he was easily overlooked in the crowd of first-years.

Also, he was intimidated by the teachers. While Professor McGonagall was kind, she was also very strict and his small attempt at a joke had not gone down well. Professor Flitwick's tininess was deceiving, as Jonathan had had to discover that his coursework was every bit as demanding. The worst, however, was Professor Snape.

Hooked-nosed, malevolent and always out to get someone who was out of line, he frightened Jonathan more than anyone else in the castle. His stomach clenched into knots whenever he heard the approaching steps of the mean-tempered potions master and to his horror, he only ever managed to quietly croak the answer whenever he was asked a question in class.

Potions wasn't exactly his strong suit either and so he would have hated Tuesdays with a vengeance, hadn't it been for the evenings.

He loved Astronomy and star charting had become something he was quite skilled at. Professor Sinistra had told him on several occasions that she was very happy with his work and he found himself proud of his accomplishments and of the fact that Aurora Sinistra seemed to smile at him a lot more often than at the other students.

He liked her a lot since he found her not only pretty but also a bit mysterious. Sometimes during meals, his gaze secretly wandered towards the faculty's table and he watched her eat. More often than not, she spent the meals talking to the dreaded Professor Snape and Jonathan wondered how she could keep so calm when his scowls and sneers were directed at her so frequently.

One Tuesday, he was concentrating on a test Professor Sinistra had them work on. He was not nervous since he had been working ahead and knew all the answers by heart. He was concentrating enough, however, to be startled when the door creaked open. In a flurry of nightclothes, a little girl with black hair and porcelain skin came running in, looking no more than perhaps a year old. Her steps were still a bit awkward but her short arms were stretched out and she looked very determined as to her destination.

"Mommy!" she babbled and hugged Professor Sinistra's leg. The astronomy professor looked as startled as her students were and gave them an apologetic smile before she picked the toddler up.

"Where is your daddy? You know mommy is teaching tonight."

The baby made an unintelligible sound and pressed her face to her mother's chest. Sinistra rolled her eyes and hugged her daughter closer to her.

"Class, I will be back in a..."

She was interrupted by the sound of the door that was flung open and Jonathan felt himself grow smaller on his chair. That black-clad arm that so violently pushed at the door could only belong to one person. Professor Snape walked in, his hair slightly ruffled, the look on his face uncharacteristically harassed. In the Astronomy class room that Jonathan regarded as his personal sanctuary he looked completely out of place.

Jonathan looked from the imposing bat-like teacher towards Professor Sinistra and – to his surprise – found her cocking her eyebrow with a subtle little smile.

"Severus, you can't let her run away like this."

Snape glowered at Jonathan and he quickly pretended to go back to filling out the almost completed questionnaire. From his seat at the very front of the class he could hear what they were discussing even though their voices were lowered.

"I am sorry, Aurora. I only turned away for a second and she was out the door."

"Next time put a spell on the door. You know how dangerous those stairs are."

Professor Sinistra gently stroked the little girl's hair.

"Yes, I should have done that." Jonathan had not expected "sheepish" to be in the repertoire of Severus Snape's looks but apparently it was.

He felt a bit embarrassed when Professor Sinistra, after a quick look towards the class that was once again engrossed in their work, touched Snape's cheek lightly.

"Careful with the little one." She handed the toddler back to Snape who wrapped his arms around her protectively. For a moment, his face looked almost pleasant.

Then he noticed that Jonathan was watching their exchange.

"You have already finished your work, I see," he said silkily. "Let's see whether your essay for potions tomorrow is also up to speed."

The look Snape shot at his student looked as if it was designed to kill but Jonathan could not help but smirk as the potions master looked only half as hazardous while clutching a grinning toddler to his chest that - unbeknownst to him - was drooling all over his black robes.

Sinistra looked amused as well, having crossed her arms in front of her upper body.  
>"Is there anything you find particularly amusing?" Snape hissed but was interrupted by his daughter whose tiny hands had clutched around a strand of his black hair. He winced when she pulled it hard, laughing, and desperately tried to disengage her fingers.<p>

Jonathan felt a lot more light-hearted than he had in weeks.

"No, sir," he said, unable to stop grinning.

"If you dare..." Snape began, but Professor Sinistra placed a hand on his arm.

"Please stop harassing my poor student, honey."

Snape's eye twitched at the term of endearment and he walked out briskly, his sinister exit disturbed by his daughter's happy squeal.

Jonathan was a bit miffed by the fact that his favorite teacher was apparently married to his least favorite teacher but found that he now was a little less afraid of Snape.

Although he would probably give him hell.

Forever.

Professor Sinistra gave him a small smirk and picked up his test sheet.

"You better get to your potions essay," she said. "as I think it has to be perfect now that you dared to be amused by his predicament."

Jonathan found the blood draining from his face but she just winked. "Get going."

Walking out, Jonathan felt determined. Maybe Hogwarts would not be as bad now that he had found out that Snape was human after all.

**A/N**: That was just a bit of fluff but I hope you enjoyed it. Be prepared for the next chapter when Snape has to battle Sinistra's cat that absolutely detests him. You know how cats are... :-)


	3. Cat Fight

**Cat Fight**

**A/N**: I've had the first part of this all written out for a while but I just couldn't come up with an ending. Then finally inspiration struck and here it is. It might be a bit fluffy but I hope you like it anyway. And please tell me if you do! :-)

„Come here, cat... be a nice little kitty..."

Snape employed his very best silky voice - soft and comforting like thick caramel and designed to make his wife's knees buckle, or so she had told him on several occasions.

The cat, however, was not impressed.

With a loud hiss, Ophiuchus retreated further onto the roof, ears flattened against his head, teeth bared. Snape was reminded of Voldemort for a split second.

"For Merlin's sake, cat!" he growled, his voice now lacking any seductive qualities. "Make this a little easier on the both of us and get your furry behind back over here. Aura will be here in a bit and we will need to hurry."

The cat, Snape was sure, would have raised an eyebrow if that had been physically possible. The low purr it gave certainly sounded sarcastic enough. Shivering slightly in the cold air that was blowing in through the open window, Snape seriously considered accioing his wife's furry friend but then though better of it. Ophiuchus was so old, Aurora had explained, that using magic of any kind on him might just be a little too much for his ancient heart, so she had strictly forbidden it. For one, Snape was sure the screeching thing did not even possess a heart. Also, he did not think an innocent little spell would hurt. But what if the cat died by accident and Aurora blamed him? He decided that it was not a risk worth taking.

A delighted squeal at his feet made him look down where he had placed his foot onto a corner of his daughter's romper suit in order to keep the child from making off towards the potentially lethal staircase. To his horror, the little girl had abandoned her favorite toy and was looking for more interesting ventures.

When during dark times he had envisioned a peaceful life, Snape had to admit to himself, he had not expected stress to surface in the form of an adventurous toddler and a vicious cat that had walked out onto a narrow ledge and was threatening to fall if he did not manage to beckon it back inside in time. He did not quite understand why Ophiuchus hated him that much. He had never done the animal any harm. Actually, he had even fed him once when Aurora had been in the hospital wing.

"Come on, kitty," he told the cat in an attempt to sound silky and promising again, still hoping for the animal to walk in on its own accord.

Ophiuchus hissed again. Nothing new there.

Aurelia was trying to wriggle free but he put his foot down- in the literal sense. He, Severus Snape, potions master extraordinaire, talented wizard, Legilimens, he-who-deceived-the-Dark-Lord and whatnot would not bow to a stubborn cat. He stretched out his hand to grab Ophiuchus around its middle but lost his footing due to the fact that his daughter managed to tug free from her restraints.

With a happy gurgling sound, she began to crawl towards the stairs. Why would she make for Aurora's desk or the bedroom? No. She had to move to where danger was lurking in the form of a set of extremely steep stairs. For a split second, Snape was not sure what to do. Would he present his wife with a shattered cat that had fallen from the highest tower of Hogwarts or with a baby that had tumbled down the stairs? Neither felt particularly appealing but he knew where his own loyalties lay. Quickly, he made a huge step away from the window and picked up the baby.

"I don't know what you're thinking, Aurelia. One day you will cause your poor old father's heart to go into cardiac arrest."

Although he knew that she could not possibly know what he was talking about, he found his daughter's amused laugh a bit mistimed. At least, he reminded himself, she was not crying again, because that would have probably shocked the cat into falling off the tower for good.

He secured the child against his side and walked back towards the window where the cat's green eyes were staring at him.

"Come on in," he said, anger now seeping into his tone. "Aura is going to kill me if you fall off."

The cat's whiskers twitched as if it was trying to sneer at Snape. Somehow he suspected that it had orchestrated the whole scene to cause Aurora to dislike him.

"It takes more than a cat on a ledge to make my wife leave me!" he informed the animal. "You know, I have been acting like a bastard quite a few times and I have always managed to get back into her good graces. Maybe it's for the better if you just fall off because she will hate me for a while for leaving the window open but she is bound to get over it sooner or later."

The green eyes remained unreadable.

"What have I ever done to you?" Snape asked accusingly. "I even tried to win you over with tuna."

The cat had eaten the tuna, he had to give it that. Later, however, it had thrown up into Snape's shoes. On purpose, he was convinced.

"You detest me."

Aurelia made another delighted sound and reached her sticky little hand out for the cat.

"Oh no, no..." Snape began, panicked at the thought that the rather adorable gesture might cause the cat to go over the edge. In the literal sense.

Ophiuchus cocked his head thdn rose from his seated position, arched his back elegantly and walked towards them to affectionally rub his head against the baby's outstretched hand.

"She is my daughter, you know. My blood is flowing in her veins. Liking her means betraying everything you stand for, stupid animal," Snape announced nastily.

The cat began to purr and leaped back into the room like the twinkle-toed beauty it was. Snape growled and quickly closed the window with a raised hand. Ophiuchus regarded him disdainfully and then walked towards Snape's favorite chair – the only thing he had brought up with him from the dungeons – high-tailed, then sat in it.

Snape's eyes narrowed as he had not yet succeeded in finding a spell that managed to remove all the thin white hairs that Ophiuchus left on the chair whenever he lay in it.

"Get off my chair you insolent little twit!" he commanded sternly.

"He can't understand you, you know. He is a cat."

Snape whirled around and found his wife standing in the doorway in her teaching robes, clutching an unruly stack of parchment in her arms.

"How long have you been standing there?"

She arched an eyebrow. "Long enough to be aware of the fact that you would not mind at all if my poor cat's demise was inevitable."

He rolled his eyes. "He hates me."

"Because you won't let him sleep in our bed."

Snape raised his free hand in outrage while Aurelia began to drool over his collar. It seemed that he was destined to be sloppily dressed until she learned not to do that anymore.

"Of course I won't! He's always- looking at me. It is unsettling."

Aurora raised a corner of her mouth seductively. "My great hero of a husband who comes complete with a chocolate frog card is unsettled by a cat." She took Aurelia from him and kissed her fair hair.

"Because that particular cat is evil," Snape protested.

"At least I don't own pickled eels in jars."

"They are in my office! You hardly ever see them!" Snape rolled his eyes upon realizing that he was caught up in an argument that would probably lead nowhere. "Come on, Aura. This is pointless. We need to get going, anyway or we will be late for the party."

Minerva McGonagall seemed to live in constant fear that her employees – namely Snape and Sinistra – might not have enough time to themselves and had urged them to spent a night out in London where some former order members had organized a little get-together. Snape, who hated parties, had only agreed when her attempts at persuasion had become so frequent that he had become increasingly tempted to avada kedavra her. And since he had an unfortunate history of bringing about the demise of Hogwarts heads, he had finally given in.

Aurora raised one corner of her mouth and handed their daughter back to him. "Let me just change into something more appropriate while you put Relia to bed."

"You heard your mother." Snape carried Aurelia into the other room and placed her into her cot. Already sleepy, her eyes fluttered shut immediately before Snape had even finished tucking her in. He fondly regarded the little girl for a moment, allowing himself one of his rare smiles. A knock on the door made him jump slightly.

"Yes?" he drawled.

The door opened and in walked Ginny Weasley, a hesitant smile on her face. Snape curled his lip and folded his arms in front of his chest.

"You?"

Ginny nodded and cast a nervous look at her shoes. "Yes. Professor Sinistra asked me to watch Aurelia while you are away."

Snape felt reluctant to trust anyone with his daughter. This was the first time he had given in to Aurora's requests and agreed to having someone else watch her. But Potter's girlfriend of all people...?

"Why would you not be attending the party yourself?" he asked.

"I have my final exams coming up. I need to study. This is a perfect opportunity."

Snape leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. "I promise you that if you take your eyes off her for just one minute, I will personally..."

"Severus!" He abruptly turned his head towards his wife who had walked into the room and was currently flashing Ginny an apologetic smile.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Miss Weasley," she said sweetly. Snape glowered at Ginny for good measure and then followed his wife out.

"Potter's girlfriend?" he hissed. "Seriously?"

Aurora turned around and placed both of her hands flatly against his chest."You need to lighten up, Severus." She smiled and briefly pressed her lips to his. "Aurelia will be perfectly fine and we will have a good time. I hear Mrs Weasley makes a wicked punch."

Snape rolled his eyes, which seemed to have become a frequent occurrence nowadays.

"Do me a favor, sweet Aurora, please do not get drunk."

* * *

><p>Four hours later Aurora and Snape apparated in front of the Hogwarts gates and the usually mean-tempered potions master grabbed his wife around the middle, swinging her around in a circle.<p>

"You were the single most beautiful woman on that party," he told her in a muffled voice.

Aurora laughed. "If you had told me beforehand how much parties disgust you, I would not have talked you into going in the first place."

Snape waved her off. "Never mind."

Aurora shook her head and placed her palm against his cheek. "I guess the punch got you through it." She chuckled. "And here I was, thinking that you could hold your liquor."

"I can!" he protested, his voice much lighter than usual. "It was just... a little much, I suppose."

She slid her hand into his and nuzzled his neck. "Let's go back to my tower and go to bed."

"Is that an offer?" he asked conspiratorially.

She shook her head and smiled. "Please go back to your old snarky self, darling. You're scaring me."

They walked across the dark grounds towards the twinkling lights of Hogwarts castle, a chilling wind whispering in the leaves around them. The stars stood in a perfect velvet sky and Aurora watched them, still captivated by their beauty despite the fact that studying them had been her profession for years. Here at Hogwarts, far away from cities and highways, the stars were always perfectly bright and they had always given her solace. Even now that she was in a happy place, she sometimes needed their comfort.

Snape was walking besides her in silence, the air probably clearing his head. The goofiness he displayed while intoxicated was endearing and made her smile slightly.

"You are really cute when you're drunk, you know?" she told him, looking up at him.

"Come on," Snape said in his usual snide voice. "I am not that drunk."

She decided to tease him, aware of the fact that he hated it but would not call her out on it. "I think you are!" she said in a sing-song-voice. When Snape stopped dead in his tracks, she feared that she had gone too far and indeed his brow was furrowed.

"I am not one of those pathetic people who indulge in too much liquor and end up making a fool of themselves, Aurora."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and ignored his irritated frown.

"Then prove it, Severus. How about some complicated magic? The Patronus Charm, perhaps?"

She had to admit that she enjoyed this far too much. She had gradually discovered all of his tender ways, his honorable and loyal side but she was also well aware of the arrogance and rude behavior he liked to display to the world. So sometimes, she felt it her duty to remind him that he might be powerful and brilliant but that he had his own weaknesses, too. Maybe that way she would be able to make him more accommodating of other people's shortcomings. Maybe that way he would someday be able to make light, pleasant conversation on a party instead of glowering at everyone and having to take the edge of his infamous sarcasm by means of alcohol.

"The Patronus Charm!" he said. "Well, that is almost too easy."

Without taking his eyes off her, he raised his wand and called out: "Expecto Patronum!"She broke the gaze and watched the shimmering animal move around them effortlessly. She choked and her hand flew up to her mouth causing Snape to whirl around. His eyes widened and he lowered his wand, completely taken aback by the sight.

"I have never seen your patronus before, you know," she whispered, mesmerized by the brilliant white light.

"I have never seen that one, either," he admitted, sounding slightly sarcastic as well as surprised.

She turned towards him with a start, her hand on his arm with urgency.

"Oh my... Severus! That is Ophiuchus!"

She felt his hand come up and caress her back, not taking his eyes off the playful cat in front of them.

"I should have known it would change," he said softly.

"Into my cat." She felt laughter bubble up inside her throat. "The one that hates you like no other." She could not help herself anymore and started laughing, her shoulders soon trembling uncontrollably. When she tilted her head back to stop the tears of laughter that were beginning to spill, he caught her around the waist and pressed his lips to hers. She stilled and reached up to deepen the kiss.

When they came apart, he shook his head. "After this display, I believe, I do not have to tell you that I love you."

Her laughter had died down but she was still giggling. "Tell me anyway."

He leaned forward and ran his hand down her back. "If you tell Ophiuchus about this, I will make you pay."

"He is a cat!" she replied, close to hysterics. "He wouldn't understand!"

Snape growled and grabbed Aurora's hand.

"Come on, I don't want my little girl to be alone with Potter's girlfriend any longer than necessary."

* * *

><p>An hour later, she lay curled up into his side, her arms around his chest, her eyes drooping.<p>

"It's nice to know you two are coming around," she murmured.

Snape, sitting up with a book, glanced up from the pages towards the foot of the bed where the fluffy cat lay, one eye fixed onto the black-haired wizard with obvious suspicion.

"He has to stay down there," he said sternly and shot the cat a dark look.

She brought her lips up to his ear and whispered: "You love him, really."

Snape snorted.


	4. What's in a Name

**What's in a name?**

**A/N**: Even more fluff. It never stops!

Snape's arm was resting on Aurora's shoulder while his hand was playing idly with a strand of her hair. Despite his relaxed facade, she knew that something was bothering him and so she straightened up and turned her head to face him. As if on its own accord, her hand came up to cup his cheek. She found his eyes flicker towards the entrance to the small walled-in rose garden they had sought refuge in.

"No one comes here at this time of day. The students are all in class," she said softly.

"Not if they put the Skiving Snack Boxes to use," Snape objected. "I cannot believe they are still legal."

Aurora knew that he would come around eventually and so she decided not to probe him. Instead, she watched a small bird hop around the rose bushes and then take one tentative step onto the gravel. The clouds shifted and a beam of sunlight lit up the far wall that was entirely covered in rich green ivy and rambler roses that had been bewitched to stay in bloom for most of the year.

She felt Snape's fingers on her elbow and found trouble shining from his black eyes.

"I am sorry," he said. "for ignoring you on our day off."

"You make it sound as if Aurelia was a job rather than a gift," she said and failed to suppress an amused smile.

"Don't play dumb, Aurora. You know she is! Cleaning up after her spontaneous eruptions of magic turns out to be quite tiresome!" He turned serious again and took her hand.

"Promise me to tell me whenever you need a rest. After all," he reached out to place his hand onto her swollen abdomen. "I would not want your second pregnancy to be even half as strenuous as the first."

She patted his hand and shook her head. "No worries, Severus. As far as I know I am not the target of a conspiracy this time."

He remained somber. "You know what I mean, Aurora. Madame Pomfrey told you to be careful."

"And I will be. But that is not what troubles you, isn't it, Severus?"

He averted his eyes and stared at the mountains looming in the distance.

"Severus, don't do that," she said softly.

She was surprised to see pain in his eyes and when he opened his mouth to speak, she felt a cold sensation trickle down her back. What was he about to reveal to her? How bad could it be? He had been his normal grumpy but tender self when they had placed Aurelia with a beaming Minerva McGonagall and had set off to the hospital wing for a routine check-up just an hour ago. Everything had been fine and despite the usual - and quite unnecessary - warnings to take it easy, nothing unusual had come off of it.

"It is your due date," he finally relented.

"Our baby's birthday?" she asked, incredulously. "What about it?"

"January 30th," Snape said gravely. "It was Lily's birthday."

Aurora's face must have fallen because he squeezed her hand that was still in his reassuringly as if to apologize for the fact that he still felt for a woman other than her.

"It's just... of all the other possible dates why did it have to be this one?"

Aurora felt the "I am sorry" dying on her lips as she realized that she had absolutely nothing to apologize for. She then settled for kissing him softly on the lips instead.

"Maybe it will be a day early or late," she tried to comfort him and he attempted a smile. "Is it stupid of me to feel like this?"

She smiled. "A little. But not much."

She could not stand the troubled look in his eyes and reached out to pull him against her, well-aware of the fact that she could say nothing to give him comfort. After all, if Lily had still been with them, she would have never married Snape. They remained in each others' arms until the sun vanished behind a dark cloud but neither felt the sudden cold.

* * *

><p>Aurora looked positively drained but a tender smile was playing at her lips when Snape hurried in.<p>

"I can't believe I allowed you to do this to me again and you were not even present to witness my agony," she said in a playful tone. Snape shook his head apologetically.

"Little did I know there would be a snow storm of epic proportions. If I had known, I would have surely never left your side."

He had got rid of his drenched cloak by the door but the rest of his clothes was nearly as wet and his hair was dripping as he had not wanted to waste a second when he had been informed of the birth of his second child upon his arrival. Despite that, Aurora beckoned him to sit next to her on the bed.

"You'll get wet," he said breathlessly and she shrugged. "I don't suppose there is a drying spell that is powerful enough to rid me of this mess," he added.

"I don't care," Aurora smiled. "Just you look at her."

"A girl?" Snape could not help but smile widely at the red-faced infant in Aurora's arms. He reached out and ran his thumb across her delicate forehead, awed by the wonder that was his newborn daughter. If he had expected to be any more eloquent the second time around, he had been wrong. "She's beautiful," he stated, wondering why the English language did not seem to have a more powerful word. One that could adequately describe what his daughter was to him.

"She needs a name," Aurora reminded him softly.

He nodded, still too taken aback to properly react to anything.

"And as you suggested the name last time, I demand to be the one this time."

He nodded numbly. "Yes?"

"How about Suzanna?" she asked.

Snape liked the slightly foreign ring to it and nodded his approval.

A few minutes later, he stood by the window, oblivious to the raging storm outside, his eyes focused onto his sleeping daughter. He glanced over at his wife who had fallen asleep, her features relaxed and happy. Maybe he had expected the snowstorm after all and had hoped that if he was away, Aurora would not go into labor on Lily's birthday. How stupid and childish that had been! It had not been a conscious thought, however. He realized it just now. Despite his happiness at the comforting weight of the babys in his arms, he felt sadness at the thought of Lily.

Headmistress McGonagall had entered the room and her soft footfall made him turn around. He responded to the wide grin on her face with a small smile.

"How are they?" McGonagall whispered.

"Good, both of them. Aurora has been exhausted, though."

"Small wonder," McGonagall said. "Have you decided on a name, yet?"

"Suzanna," Snape said simply. "It does suit her, doesn't it?"

McGonagall nodded and stroked the baby's cheek with her forefinger. "Absolutely. She does look like a little flower."

"Flower?" Snape asked. "What flower?"

McGonagall looked up at him and her bright smile died on her lips. "Oh, you did not know?"

"I don't."

Snape frowned, unsure what to make of her curious behavior.

"Suzanna means..." she paused involuntarily, then cleared her throat. "Lily."

Surprised, Snape turned towards his sleeping wife. After their morning in the garden, they had not touched on the subject of her due date again and somehow he had been convinced that she had forgotten. Handing the baby to Minerva, he walked towards the bed and arranged the covers around Aurora's shoulders. He then leaned over her and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Thank you," he whispered.


End file.
